Posted By Bridgette Meinhold On May 5, 2010 @ 3:00 pm In Architecture | No Comments

Trestles is a famous surf break and beach in Southern California that been threatened by development in recent years. Luckily, the beach has been saved[1], but it’s still difficult to access — the trail crosses active train tracks and has caused some damage to the local ecosystem. Seeking to provide a solution, Brooklyn-based 24° Studio[2] designed Cut Back Hills[3], a sweeping wood walking path composed of FSC-certified wood[4]. The beautiful structure is one of several entries in a competition hosted by the Open Architecture Network[5] to design a safe and ecologically-conscious beach access solution for surfers and beach goers.

Inspired by driftwood found along the shores as well as surfing[6] and surfing moves like the ‘cutback’, ‘floater’ and ‘snap’, the project is a flowing walkway with barrel-like bridges that circulates through and around the wetland area. Designed to make the access to the beach a more enjoyable experience, the walkway is wide enough for even bike riding and has a low enough angle for wheelchair accessibility. The entire project would be constructed from FSC-certified[7] hardwood and timbers for its supporting structures.

Currently, access to Trestles Beach is only provided via foot from the Old Pacific Highway 101 parallel to the I-5 in between San Diego and LA. As it stands, surfers generally walk from the highway across a somewhat fragile ecosystem, cross the train tracks (dangerous!) and around the hills to the beach. 24° Studio[2] proposes a wood walkway and bridge that winds through the hills, over the train tracks and down to the beach. A number of observation decks, additional parking, bathrooms and bike racks are also included.